Sadler’s Wells has announced the full lineup for the inaugural edition of Dance Digital, a brand-new film festival dedicated to the extraordinary intersection of movement and the moving image. Taking place from Friday 5 to Sunday 7 June 2026 at the Lilian Baylis Studio, the weekend will showcase 45 films selected from a staggering 415 submissions across 55 countries.
The festival program spans an incredible breadth of styles, including ballet, hip hop, flamenco, Bharatanatyam, and vogue. Five feature-length films anchor the weekend, ranging from the award-winning Hungarian documentary The Euphoria of Being—which follows a 90-year-old Auschwitz survivor creating a dance-theatre work—to the psychedelic Australian experimental film Drenched.
Bia Oliveira, Director of Digital Stage and Studio, emphasized the unique intimacy of the medium: “There is something uniquely powerful about the way a camera can inhabit a dancer's body, getting closer than any audience seat ever could.” She noted that the overwhelming response to the open call proved the festival is “not just timely, it is necessary.”
Beyond traditional screenings, Dance Digital pushes technological boundaries with two VR installations. Sarah Silverblatt-Buser’s Collective Body, a 2025 Venice Biennale selection, invites participants to create avatars and dance within a virtual storm. Meanwhile, Hinterlands by Rebecca Evans uses mixed reality to explore the survival of microorganisms in inhospitable environments.
The Saturday night will culminate in a prestigious awards ceremony, celebrating excellence across six categories, including Best Choreography and Best Social First Film.
The festival is also designed as a hub for creators, featuring curated shorts by filmmakers under 21 and one-to-one mentoring sessions with industry experts. From the "50p mic" DIY spirit of emerging artists to the high-fashion aesthetics of established choreographers like Damien Jalet, the weekend promises a total immersion in the digital future of dance.
Tickets are on sale now. For the full program and to book industry networking slots, visit the Sadler’s Wells website.
